Lint filters and bleach-dispensing devices

ABSTRACT

A combination lint filter, bleach or other wash and rinse water additive dispenser and fabric conditioner dispenser adapted for mounting on the agitator post of a clothes washer having a recirculating system and a spin-rinse cycle which receives washrinse water from the recirculating system, filters it and dilutes and delivers the bleach to the tub of the clothes washer and thereafter dispenses fabric conditioner during the spin-rinse cycle.

United States Patent inventor Peyton W. Douglas Bemus Point, NY.

Appl. No. 7.031

Filed Jan. 30, 1970 Division olSer. No. 749.482. Aug. 1. well. Pat. No.3.520.156.

Patented Aug. 3, i971 Assignee Blackstone Corporation LlNT FILTERS ANDBLEACH-DISPENSING DEVICES 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 68/17 A, 68/18 FA Int. Cl. 006139/02, D06f 39/10 Field of Search68/17. 18

weemo [5o] lleiereneee Cited UNITED MATES PATENTS 3.085.418 4/1963Douglas 68/17 A 3.l9'7.98l 8/1965 Morey etel... 68/18FA 3.466.900 9/1969Elliott 68/18 FA X 3.481.163 l2/l969 Bochan ct esmnx PrimaryExaminer-William l. Price Assistant Examiner -Philip R. CoeAttorney-Butch. Blenlto end Zieeenheim AMTRACT: A combination lintfilter. bleach or other wash and rinse writer additive dispenser andfabric conditioner dispeneer adopted for mounting on the agitator postof a clothes washer having a recirculating eyetem and a spin-rinse cyclewhich receives wash-rinne water from the recirculating system, filtereit and dilutes and delivers the bleach to the tub of the clothes washerand thereafter dispenses fabric conditioner during the epin-rineo cycle.

PATENTEU AUG 3197! IINIVIEN'I'OR Peyton W. Douglas LINT FILTERS ANDBLEACH-DISPENSING lDEi/BCES This application is a division of mycopending application Ser. No. 749,482 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,S20,l56 filedAug. 1, 1968.

This invention relates to a combination lint filter andbleach-dispensing means and a fabric conditioner dispenser andparticularly to a removable apparatus for placement on the agitator of awashing machine to act as a filter for recirculating water and, at thesame time, as a feeder for bleach or other wash water additive.

There are many patents in the art relating to devices for introduoingbleach into a clothes-washing machine. in some patents, this isaccomplished by adding liquid bleach to the outside tub of a dual tubearrangement to be diluted before it enters into the wash water in theinside tub. in other cases, it is accomplished by actuating asolenoid-controlled container and directing the bleach into the washwater at a preselected time. Still another form of bleach-adding meansis that in which the liquid bleach is introduced into the wash waterthrough recirculation compartments by means of the recirculating pump. 1do not know of any apparatus in which a bleach compartment and a rinseagent compartment are attached to the agitator in combination with alint filter. There have been rinse agent compartments attached to thelint filter in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,418 and others. These compartmentsact as a container for fabric conditioner or rinse agent which must beintroduced into the water during the rinsing cycle which comes after thewashing and the spin-out cyclc. duch rinse agents cannot be introducedinto the wash water during the washing cycle and these devices of theprior art are not designed to accomplish this purpose. As a matter offact, if one were to add the rinse agent to the wash water, it wouldhill the detergent suds and the dirt-removing ability of the deter gent,thus destroying the entire effectiveness of the wash cy clc. in theseprior art structures. the fabric conditioners must be held in thedispenser during both the wash and the spin cycle without any of thematerial being introduced into the washer and they must then beintroduced into the first or second clear rinse water in order to softenclothes, remove static electricity and give the user a soft wash. in thepresent invention, 1 provide not only a dispenser which adds bleach orother wash water additive such as detergent in a diluted conditiondirectly into the wash cycle using either the liquid or the granularform of additive at a delayed time with the assistance of therecirculating water which passes through the lint filter when the washerbegins its washing cycle but also a rinse agent dispenser. At the sametime as bleach is added, detergent or soaprdry or liquid, may be addedto the bleach compartment with the bleach if desired and it too will bediluted and sensors tially added to the wash water at the proper time.The present invention has very real advantages over devices of the priorart. It adds the bleach or soap, or both, as the case may be, in gradualamounts as needed in the appropriate cycle of the wash operation andthereafter adds the rinse additive during the deep rinse cycle. Sincethe wash additive is introduced through as oscillating lint filter as itis here, it helps to keep the filter area clean and free from stickinessas distinguished from those instances where a rinse additive is addedthrough the lint filter in the rinse cycle. it eliminates the problem ofclogging which characterizes many bleach and detergent additive devicesof the prior art and by reason of its oscillating motion, it keeps thewhole apparatus clean through the fact that the lint, rolling up into aball as it does on the filter, piclts up parti cles and maintains theholes of the filter clean at all times.

in a preferred embodiment of my invention. i provide a combined lintfilter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser comprising anannular filter member having perforations in the surface thereof, avertical upstanding outer rim on said lint filter, an inner annular cupwithin the annulus of the filter area and beneath said filter area, acylindrical post-engaging member within the annulus of the cup adaptedto fit over the top of the agitator of a washing machine and having anupstanding rim forming a cylindrical cup. An inturned flange ispreferably provided at the top of the upstanding outer rim to preventthe lint from being thrown out during the spinning operation.

In the foregoing general description, I have set out certain objects.purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objccts, purposes andadvantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration ofthe following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

hlCi. l is a top plan of a combination filter and wash agent dispensingdevice according to my invention;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line ll lll of Fifi. 11', and

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, l have illustrated a washing machine havingstub lit) and a central agitator post it. The agitator post is providedwith the lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenseraccording to my invention. The lint tiltcr wash-agent rinso-agentdispenser is made up of a hollow cylindrical center post-engaging member12 adapted to fit over the top of the agitator post having anintermediate plate lilo form a cylindrical rinse agent cup 111thdirectly on top of the agitator. The member if; is surrounded by anannular cupchnpcd portion lb adapted to hold a wash agent. Above andoutside the cup shaped portion lil is a flat annular lint filter memberid having holes is provided with an outer vertically upstandingcylindrical wall is. The wall llti is provided with a spin out baffle 17which fits over the outer wall lid and carries an inturncd flange llliwhich prevents lint from being thrown out during the spin operation. Arecirculation nosalc hill is provided from the conventional pumpmechanism of the washing machine to recirculatc water back to the lintfilter and through the filter area into the wash tub proper in the usualmanner of recirculating washers.

in operation, the lint filter and wash agent dispenser of my inventionoperates as follows. The cap member it is placed over the top of theagitator post ill. The wash agent such as bleach is added into the cupl3 and the rinse agent into cup lillb and the machine is started. itswash water is recirculated from the tub it] through nozzle 30. it isdischarged onto lint filtcr member rs and cup portion M where a portionof it dilutes the wash additive in the cup-shaped portion i3. As themachine operates, the diluted wash agent overflows portion 113 ontofilter member 1d and passes through holes 1h into tub it) where it mixeswith the clothes and wash water. This dilution and addition iscontinuous until the wash agent is entirely transferred from cup portionid to tub lit). The filter member id rcmovcs lint from the recirculatingwater and by reason of its reciprocating action, causes the list to formballs which roll baclr and forth heaping the filter surface clear ofparticles which retard filtration and water flow.

When the wash cycle is concluded the usual spin and rinse cycle is begunwith the whole tub and agitator unit rotating at increased speed. Thiscauses the rinse agent to be forced upwardly over the upper edge of cupMb by centrifugal action and to be discharged into cup 113 from which itis carried over the holes iii, collected into ares lldib between flange1th, wall to and flange M1- and upon stopping of the spinner tub it),the Rinse agent or Fabric conditioner will drop through holes 115 intothe tub, later to be diluted in the deep rinse water. The area of flangeid adjacent wall to is without holes equal to the inward flange tb. Thislab area traps the Fabric conditioner in the spin cycle.

in FIG. 3 l have illustrated a second embodiment of my invention inwhich a hollow cylindrical agitator-engaging member 3?. is adapted tofit over an agitator post It: The member 3?. is surrounded by an annularcup-shaped portion 33 adapted to hold a wash agent. Above and outsidethe cup shaped portion dil is a flat annular lint filter member 3dhaving holes Sid and provided with an outer vertically upstandingcylindrical wall as. Preferably the wall 36 is provided with an inturncdflange 3'? at the top which acts as a spin-out baffle. A removable rinseholding compartment and cup assembly 3ft are removably attached to theagitator-engaging member 32. This assembly is made up of a holdingcompartment 39 having an opening 40 in the bottom adapted to slide overthe member 32 and provided with drain opening 41. A central cup 42 isfixed with compartment 39 and is attached thereto by spaced arms 43separated by openings 44 communicating with the interior of compartment39.

in operation the device of FIG. 3 operates in generally the same fashionas that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except that when the wash cycle is completedand the spin cycle begins, a rinse agent in cup 42 is forced up and overthe edge of cup 42 through openings 44 into holding compartment 39 whereit is held against the peripheral wall by centrifugal force. When thespin stops the rinse agent flows through openings 41 into annular cup 33from which it is discharged in the next spin cycle as described inconnection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

While I have illustrated and described a presently preferred embodimentof my invention in the foregoing specification. it will be understoodthat this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of thefollowing claims.

lclaim:

l. A combination lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agentdispenser for use in a washing machine having a recirculating watersystem, a reciprocating agitator member and a spin-rinse cyclecomprising an annular filter member having I perforations in the surfacethereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member. an innerannular cup within the annulus of the filter area and beneath saidfilter area and an agitator engaging member within the annulus of thecup adapted to fit over the engage the agitator member.

2. A washing agent dispenser adapted to he removably positioned on awashing machine agitator in the path of a stream of entry watercomprising an annular filter member having perforations in the surfacethereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member, an innerannular cup within the filter annulus adapted to receive a wash agentand an agitator engaging member within said annular cup, saidagitator-engaging member being provided with a circular cup adjacent theagitator and within the inner annular cup and adapted to receivefabric-treating agent.

3. A washing agent dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the circularcup is surrounded by an annular compartment communicated with the upperedge of said cup adjacent the top of the compartment and with the innerannular cup adjacent the bottom of the compartment.

4. A washing agent dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the circularcup and annular compartment are unitary and are removable attached tothe agitator-engaging member.

1. A combination lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agentdispenser for use in a washing machine having a recirculating watersystem, a reciprocating agitator member and a spin-rinse cyclecomprising an annular filter member having perforations in the surfacethereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member, an innerannular cup within the annulus of the filter area and beneath saidfilter area and an agitator engaging member within the annulus of thecup adapted to fit over the engage the agitator member.
 2. A washingagent dispenser adapted to be removably positioned on a washing machineagitator in the path of a stream of entry water comprising an annularfilter member having perforations in the surface thereof, a verticalupstanding outer rim on said filter member, an inner annular cup withinthe filter annulus adapted to receive a wash agent and an agitatorengaging member within said annular cup, said agitator-engaging memberbeing provided with a circular cup adjacent the agitator and within theinner annular cup and adapted to receive fabric-treating agent.
 3. Awashing agent dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the circular cupis surrounded by an annulAr compartment communicated with the upper edgeof said cup adjacent the top of the compartment and with the innerannular cup adjacent the bottom of the compartment.
 4. A washing agentdispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the circular cup and annularcompartment are unitary and are removable attached to theagitator-engaging member.